Ray Carver

jason varsoke (jjv@caesun.msd.ray.com)
Thu, 26 Aug 1999 15:18:47 -0400 (EDT) 

Ah, Carver, so close to my heart, so close to the bottle.  I haven't read
'Why don't you dance?' but I think I can lend some insight into Carver.
Reading him is a little strange.  His pieces are often very poetic in the
sense that picking appart the details never gets you close to the whole.
And that's what you have to take in, the whole.  You see, Carver has a
slow fuse.  You look at everything that's going on in the story and often
ask yourself, so what?  Then, often on the last page, the emotion
explodes.  Actually, it's more like a supersaturated suspended collodial
solution.  (If you know what I mean, you'll know exactly what I mean)
Adding that last detail renders the entire thing in front of you.  If you
want, probably the best, example of this, read "Cathedral."  That story is
amazing.  Right at the end you have this very strange feeling, and you are
the main character.  You just are.  
   Sorry, this is a horrible explaination of one of my favorite authors.
I had to weigh in, but I probably should have gotten some sleep first.
But the image of the suspended colloide is perfect, trust me.  
   So my suggestion is, don't look at the details, look at the whole.
Kafka can be understood through the details, as can JDS.  But for Carver,
is just the whole.  i guess it's like looking at those stereograms.  You
can't do it by parts, you either got it or you don't.
   Damn, this isn't any help at all, is it.  Nevermind.  Just read
"Cathedral."  

-j
On Thu, 26 Aug 1999, John Smith wrote:

> Tim O'Connor wrote:
> But it's endlessly fascinating to see what path a
> writer
> takes in
> evolution (e.g., Raymond Carver going from "Will You
> Please
> Be Quiet,
> Please?" to some of his last, lean fiction like "When
> It's
> Human
> Instead of Animal" [title from memory; please don't
> pummel
> me if I
> mangled it a bit).
> 
> 
> Has anybody read, 'Why don't you dance?'  I've heard
> Carver was an amazing author but I found myself
> puzzled when I caught that story in a reprint.  Why is
> the man's dancing with her supposed to be so mystical?
>  Granted, it's strange for a man to reposition his
> bedroom furniture on his driveway and ask a stranger
> to dance, but what is this story supposed to
> represent?  I've read some cryptic Kafka and it isn't
> nearly as puzzling as Carver's story, if it is
> supposed to resonate with meaning.  Is there some sort
> of mystery hidden between the lines that he expects us
> to assemble?  I've only read that one story, maybe if
> I was more acquainted with his style I would see what
> message he attempts to convey.  Is it a puzzle or
> maybe a symbolic portrayal of suburban life?  I'd love
> to hear anyone's thoughts on the story and Carver.
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